‘Just wanted a sign’: New Hampshire man pokes fun at flood of campaign signs

By Ross Ketschke

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    GOFFSTOWN, New Hampshire (WMUR) — If election season had a flower, it would likely be the campaign sign.

They pop up in yards and on curbs every election cycle, sometimes by the dozen.

Andy Brown of Goffstown is not running for office, but he does live near an intersection flooded with campaign signs for local, state and national races. He decided he wanted in on the action.

“It’s not very expensive, so I thought I’d just order my own sign,” Brown said.

Brown strung up his own sign, tucked between banners for legitimate candidates. It read, “Andy Brown, not Running for anything, just wanted a sign.”

The initial sign was partially a prank on Brown’s wife, Erin Marchal, who admits it took a little while for her to notice.

“I don’t actually know how long it was,” she said. “I’m told it was weeks.”

Soon after, a friend in town caught on and added his own sign for Brown. This one with the disclaimer “paid for by friends of Andy Brown.”

Then, in a move to compete with some of the larger campaign signs on the corner, Brown added yet another reading, “I like big signs and I cannot lie.”

Officials with the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office confirmed to News9 that since Brown is not a candidate in any race, his signs are completely legal and do not need to follow the same rules as individuals on the ballot.

Brown said in an election season that has many on edge, he hopes his signs can help a few of his neighbors crack a smile.

“There’s been a lot of strife about those signs, so I just thought we needed a bit of levity,” Brown said.

After getting some attention on social media, Brown said he is now fielding requests from others for one of his signs, including from some people out-of-state.

Levity aside, signs are often a cornerstone of political campaigns. In the current race for Governor, the Joyce Craig and Kelly Ayotte campaigns have each spent tens of thousands of dollars on printed items, including shirts, buttons, and signs.

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